


Determination in The Face of The Unknown

by princetteofcats



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Genderless Frisk, I feel like these two pieces of media need a bit more interaction with one another, Mute Frisk, One Shot, Undertale Spoilers, Undertale and Over The Garden Wall Crossover, You are filled with DETERMINATION, they compliment each other so well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 23:37:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6171250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princetteofcats/pseuds/princetteofcats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frisk finds themself lost in the wood. The Beast finds them and offers them a deal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Determination in The Face of The Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea I've been tossing around for a little while. I actually made a piece of fanart over on Tumblr, which you can look at here (http://enbyromeo.tumblr.com/post/140256654360/as-long-as-you-keep-the-lantern-burning-the).
> 
> I'm going to err on the side of caution and say that this crossover includes spoilers for both OTGW and Undertale. I'd suggest completing both pieces of media before reading this, if only for the sake of clarity!!
> 
> Anyway.... Hope you all enjoy!

The woods were thick and dark. The path they were following had dwindled into almost nothing long ago. They weren’t entirely sure where the path had been leading, nor why they were on it in the first place. Everything was a haze; for all they knew, they had been walking on this not-path all their life. Only, that couldn’t really be the case; they remembered, quite distinctly, another path, another wood, that lead to snow and puzzles and skeleton friends--

A pang hit their chest, and the child, Frisk, paused. Their brow furrowed, and they clutched at the front of their sweater. Something beckoned from the haze, some sense of clarity clamoring for recognition. But, just as soon as it breached the back of their mind, it was gone, and they were left standing still in the middle of the not-path, dull gray light growing ever dimmer from beyond the canopy of thick tree branches.

What were they doing here?

They were just as unsure as before, and they doubted that any answers would accompany the coming night. So, they pressed forward once more, tugging at their sleeves as they trudged through the thickening grass and descending darkness. They kept walking, even as the branches grew lower and sharper, even as the last remnants of foggy light disappeared, leaving only inky blackness. They walked until they couldn’t see but a few inches in front of their face.

There was a light in the distance.

It was bright, and it flickered gently, invitingly. Frisk looked to it, squinted and tried to decipher what, exactly, it was. Even though it lay off in the distance, most likely well beyond the limits of the not-path, it was the only thing they could locate in the cold and dark. It was their only option. They began walking, again, this time towards the light.

In the dead center of a small, grassy clearing, they finally found the source of the light. It came from a small fire, twinkling behind the glass portion of an old, sturdy lantern. Frisk stumbled into the clearing, tugging at the shoulder of their sweater, which had snagged on a bush. They approached the lantern with some caution, then knelt beside it, peering closely into the small glass window.

Another pang, quite similar to the one they had felt earlier, prodded Frisk’s chest, and they frowned deeply. They rocked back on their heels and tugged at their sweater front again, small fingers knotting into the soft wool. Something, again, tried to pull at the back of their mind, to remind them of its presence. It seemed important that they recall whatever it was, but no matter how much focus they gave to the task, they were unsuccessful.

“The lantern calls to you, doesn’t it, child?”

Frisk fell backwards from their unsteady stance, a gasp escaping them as they hit the ground. They stared upwards, now, face-to-face with a shadowy, looming creature with branch-like horns and wide eyes that glowed and flickered, much like the lantern. A beast.

“There is a reason it calls to you.”

The Beast’s voice was deep, and it made Frisk’s core shake. They did not move, even as the beast grew closer, leaning forward to look them in the face. The lantern’s light twinkled, casting strange shadows over the featureless face of the Beast.

“The lantern houses your friends. Do you remember them, child?”

Frisk felt their heart jump from their chest to their throat. They recalled the skeleton brothers, Undyne, Toriel, Alphys, everyone. Of course they remembered, how could they ever forget them? Something again pressed at the brink of their mind, tried to remind them of why they were here, what they were doing on such a lonesome stretch of wood at such a late hour. Their friends….

Frisk nodded slowly. The beast’s face did not change.

“Your friends are kept safe within the lantern, for now,” the Beast rumbled, gesturing towards the object with long, needle-sharp fingers. Frisk glanced away from the Beast and followed his hand. A few moment passed before, slowly, they rose back to their knees and reached towards the lantern, taking ginger hold of its handle. The Beast seemed pleased by this.

“Do you value their continued safety, child?”

Frisk did not hesitate this time. They nodded, quickly and earnestly, their grip tightening on the cool metal of the handle. Their chest ached. Why were they in the woods? Their friends…. Were they looking for them? Was that really why the lantern had beckoned them? The Beast did not speak for a while, and Frisk, slowly, stood upright, the lantern held aloft in their small, firm grip. The light played strange tricks on the Beast’s face, still, but Frisk did not shy away. They looked nowhere else, even as he spoke again.

“Then, child, you must keep the lantern burning. Only so long as the lantern’s light burns will your friends remain safe within it.”

Frisk did not move. The Beast hovered closer, and extended one long, thin hand, ghosting his fingers over their head. They did not flinch.

“You are a good child. I know you will do well and keep them safe. I will show you the Edelwood, and how to extract the oil. With my help, you will keep your friends souls safe--”

Something clicked, then, as the memory nagging at the edge of Frisk’s consciousness found some breaking point. The souls of their friends, the souls of monsters, did not linger, could not possibly remain within the lantern’s walls. What more, their friends were not here, and never had been. The path had faded as they had wandered farther and farther away from them. Things suddenly made much more sense. Frisk’s face grew stern, and they backed away from the Beast’s touch. The Beast, confused by this, looked to them with unblinking eyes.

“It is the only way. If you do not keep the lantern burning, the souls of your friends--”

Frisk’s face grew ever more serious. Instead of discomfort and anxiety welling within their chest, they now felt a sense of purpose and clarity. They knew, now, why they had been here, and what they must do. And they were determined to do it.

The lantern clattered to the ground. The Beast let out a horrible sound, something between a howl and a shriek. The play between shadows and light revealed terrifying, gruesome faces at the Beast’s torso, but Frisk did not see this. They were running, tumbling through the forest as fast as their legs would carry them, paying no mind to the way the branches clawed at their clothes or lashed at their legs. They ran, and they did not stop. They ran into the darkness, towards the voices that pulled them forward.

“Frisk… Frisk… Frisk! Frisk!”

The child awoke with a small start and gasp. They blinked at the light filtering through the leaves of the tree. The ground they laid upon was soft, the grass slightly cool. Toriel sat beside them and was reaching out to still them, her eyes welling with joyful tears. Papyrus and Sans stood above them, and both looked immensely relieved, as well.

“Jeez, kid. You gave us a real scare, there.”

“Oh, my child--!! You fell into the ravine while we were walking--!! We couldn’t find you, at first, we were so frightened--”

“Oh, human!! Yes, you even managed to give me, the Great Papyrus, a genuine startle--”

Frisk rose as the voices clamored, looking about at each of their faces. Their shoulders shook, and tears welled in their eyes, as well. This seemed to distress Toriel, who moved forward to embrace them, but she was beaten to the punch. Frisk leapt into her arms and hugged her neck. Sans caught a glimpse of the giant, gap-toothed grin that had spread across their face.

“... We’re glad you’re back, too, kid.”


End file.
